ABSTRACT
This edited volume, The Dutch Slave Trade. New Methods, Perspectives, and Sources, reexamines the historiography of the Dutch slave trade through innovative methodologies and underutilised primary sources. Traditionally, research has focused on the business practices of the MCC and WIC, often overlooking the lived experiences of the enslaved and the complexities of illegal trade and violence. The future of research in this field is promising, with Dutch archives offering new avenues for exploration beyond the traditional focus. This volume reveals the potential to uncover perspectives of enslaved people aboard slave ships, investigate unstudied areas like sexual violence, and examine the roles of Dutch nobility and elite in the trade. It also highlights emerging research on previously marginalised or overlooked groups, like the involvement of women in slave revolts, the activities of private traders and their families, and the experiences of captives in the African interior and coastal forts. By encouraging historians to engage with these rich sources, the editors aim to inspire new research that broadens our understanding of the diverse social and economic networks within the Dutch transatlantic slave trade, offering a more nuanced view of this history.
